RELS 212 SYLLABUS
WINTER 2016
Abbreviations:
Abreviated references to monographs indicate the book is on reserve in the library.
CANE
FDD
Sasson, Jack M. (ed.). Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. New York: Scribner, 1995.
Foster, Benjamin R. From Distant Days: Myths, Tales, and Poetry of Ancient Mesopotamia. Bethesda:
CDL Press, 1995.
GMAE Armour, R. A. Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt. 2nd edn. Cairo: The American University
in Cairo Press, 2001.
LAE
Simpson, W. K. ed. The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories,
Instructions, and Poetry. Third Edition. New Haven: Yale, 2003.
* Items marked with the asterisk are cases where you can receive bonus marks by presenting (part of) the myth or
story in class.
Jan. 4
Introduction to the Course
The Myth of the Heroic Quest
Grant, Myths We Live By, 1-17.
Introduction to the Ancient Mesopotamian World
“Mesopotamia: I Have Conquered the River.” Film Media Group, 2000. Video available through
the Queen’s Library System.
Jan. 7
Introduction to the Epic of Gilgamesh
* Gilgamesh, Tablets I – II; “The Coming of Enkidu,” Gilgamesh 1.
“Royal Ideology and State Administration in Sumer and Akkad,” CANE 1:975-411.
Editions of Gilgamesh Used in Class: www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.pdf
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gatestobabylon/temple1.html
Other Editions of Gilgamesh on the Internet:
http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/
http://www.learner.org/courses/worldlit/gilgamesh/read/
“The Monomyth of the Hero.” http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm
Discussion topic: The hero and his sidekick is a staple in adventure and fantasy stories. Which
pair do Gilgamesh and Enkidu most resemble in Western literature or movies?
Jan. 11
The Expedition Against Humbaba
* Gilgamesh, Tablets II –V; “The Forest Journey,” Gilgamesh 2.
Forsyth, “Huwawa and Gilgamesh,” The Old Enemy, 21-43.
Discussion topic: First Nations peoples frequently resist the exploitation of natural resources on
their ancestral lands. Document an incident in recent times and describe the
motivations for resistance.
Jan. 14
Inanna and the Myth of the “Sacred Marriage”
* “The Exaltation of Inanna” http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.07.2#
“Dumuzid-Inanna B,” http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.08.02
“Dumuzid-Inanna D,” http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.08.04
“The Song of the Lettuce,” http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.08.05
Bottéro, “Hieros Gamos,” Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia, 154-158.
Frymer-Kensky, “In the Body of the Goddess,” In the Wake of the Goddesses, 45-57.
Lapinkivi, “Summary and Conclusions,” The Sumerian Sacred Marriage, 241-246.
Discussion topic: It has been suggested by scholars such as Merlin Stone and Marija Gimbutas that during the
Neolithic Era the supreme deity worshipped by some peoples in the Mediterranean world
was a goddess. What is their evidence and what is the status of this hypothesis in current
scholarship?
Jan. 18
The Adventures of Ishtar
* Gilgamesh Tablet VI; “Ishtar and Gilgamesh,” Gilgamesh 3.
“When Ishtar went to the Underworld,” FDD, 78-84.
“To Ishtar,” FDD, 238-41.
Tzvi Abusch, “Ishtar’s Proposal and Gilgamesh’s Refusal: An Interpretation of the Gilgamesh
Epic, Tablet 6, Lines 1-79,” History of Religions 26 (1986): 143-87. Available on-line
through Queen’s library.
Frymer-Kensky, “The Marginalization of the Goddesses,” In the Wake of the Goddesses, 70-80.
Fumi Karshi, “Love Rejected: Some Notes on the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh and the
Greek Myth of Hippolytus,” Journal of Cuneiform Studies 58 (2006): 97-107. Available
on-line through Queen’s library.
J. Z. Smith, “Dying and Rising Gods,” Encyclopedia of Religion 4:525-526. Available on-line
through Queen's library.
Discussion topic: One of the recurring complaints among young women is that young men are reluctant to
commit to long-term relationships. How is this analyzed in contemporary women’s literature
and what are women advised to do?
Jan. 21
Death and the Afterlife in Mesopotamia
* “How Adapa Lost Immortality,” FDD, 97-101.
Gilgamesh, Tablets VII-VIII, XII; “The Death of Enkidu,” Gilgamesh 3.
“Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Mesopotamian Thought,” CANE 3:1883-1893.
Discussion topic: One of the spectacular archaeological discoveries of the 20th century was the royal cemetery
of Ur uncovered by Sir Leonard Woolley. Describe some of its features, including the
phenomenon of retainer burials.
Jan. 25
Flood Stories in the Ancient Near East
* Gilgamesh Tablets IX-XI (first two thirds); “The Search for Everlasting Life;
The Flood,” Gilgamesh 4-5.
“Story of the Flood,” FDD, 52-77.
“Flood Narratives of Ancient Western Asia,” CANE 4:2337-2351.
Tikva Frymer-Kensky, “The Atrahasis Epic and Its Significance for Our Understanding of Genesis
1–9,” Biblical Archaeologist 40.4 (1981): 147-55. Available on-line through Queen's
library.
R. A. Oden, “Transformations in Near Eastern Myths: Genesis 1-11 and the Old Babylonian Epic
of Atrahasis,” Religion 11 (1981): 21-37. Available on-line through Queen's library.
Discussion topic: Document multi-faith responses to the devastation to a significant environmental disaster
like the tsunami in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans in December, 2004. Can you discern
any patterns?
Jan. 28
How to Read a Myth
*Gilgamesh Tablet XI (last third); “The Return,” Gilgamesh 6.
“The Gilgamesh Epic: A Masterpiece from Ancient Mesopotamia,” CANE 4:2327-2336.
Tzvi Abusch, “The Development and Meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: An Interpretative
Essay,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 121.4 (2001): 614-22. Available online through Queen’s Library.
Csapo, Theories of Mythology, 1-9.
Grant, Myths We Live By, 1-17.
Robert Oden, “Method in the Study of Near Eastern Myths,” Religion 9 (1979): 182-196.
Available on on-line through Queen’s library.
Discussion topic: The goal of the heroic quest takes many forms in world literature. Describe some common
kinds of the heroic quest’s ultimate goal. Be sure to provide some examples of quest stories
that illustrate these ultimate goals.
Feb. 1
Introduction to the Ancient Egyptian World
Mummification and the After-Life of the Ka
* “The Romance of Setna Khaemuas and the Mummies,” LAE, 453-469.
Morenz, “Burial Customs; mummification,” Egyptian Religion, 198-204.
“Tales of Magic and Wonder from Ancient Egypt,” CANE 4:2255-2264.
Internet Resources:
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/index.html
Discussion topic: One modern attempt to employ technology to extend life use cryogenics to
freeze the body at the moment of death. Discuss the process, cost and prospects
for success.
Feb. 4
Tombs and Pyramids
* The Report of Sinuhe,” LAE, 54-66.
David, “The Tombs of the Nobility,” The Ancient Egyptians, 76-81.
Internet Resources: “Pyramids, the Inside Story,”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/
Discussion topic: There is debate about how the great pyramids of Giza were constructed. What are the major
theories current among archaeologists and engineers?
Feb. 8
Symbolism of the Pyramids
* “The Book of the Heavenly Cow,” LAE, 289-298.
“Selections from the Pyramid Texts,” LAE, 247-262.
Allen, “Introduction,” The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 1-14.
Robin Derricourt, “Pyramidologies of Egypt: A Typological Review,” Cambridge Archaeological
Journal 22.3 (October 2012): 353-363. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
Hornung, “The Book of the Heavenly Cow,” Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife, 148-51.
Internet Resources: http://www.pyramidtextsonline.com/
Discussion topic: Why do some people think aliens built the pyramids?
Feb. 11
Pharaoh and Horus
* “The Contendings of Horus and Seth,” LAE, 91-103.
“Cycle of Songs in Honor of Senwosret III,” LAE, 301-306.
David, “The Myth of Horus and Seth,” The Ancient Egyptians, 28-31.
Shafer, “Kingship and Divinity,” Religion in Ancient Egypt, 58-73.
Discussion topic: How did the female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, justify her kingship?
MID-TERM EXAM ASSIGNED
[Feb. 15 – 19, Reading Week. No Classes]
Feb. 22
The After-Life with Osiris
*“The Tale of the Two Brothers,” LAE, 80-90.
“Selections from the Coffin Texts,” LAE, 263-266.
“Book of the Dead 125,” LAE, 267-277.
David, “Osiris and the democratization of funerary beliefs,” The Ancient
Egyptians, 105-112.
Westphal, “Mimesis in Ancient Egypt,” God, Guilt, and Death, 208-218.
Discussion topic: What was the legal status of women in ancient Egypt in comparison to
surrounding cultures?
Feb. 25
Egyptian Goddesses: Isis & Hathor
*Internet Resource: “Isis Receives the True and Hidden Name of Re,”
http://www.theologywebsite.com/etext/egypt/isis.shtml
“Prayer to Hathor as Goddess of Love,” in Hollis, Hymns, Prayers, and Songs: An Anthology of
Ancient Egyptian Poetry, 123-24. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
Internet Resource: Apuleius, “The Golden Ass” or Metamorphoses Book XI.
http://www.naderlibrary.com/goldenass.11.htm
Wilkinson, “Isis,” The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, 146-149.
Witt, “Telling Forth her Praises,” Isis in the Graeco-Roman World, 100-110.
Discussion topic: It is claimed that the iconography of Isis and Horus was the model for the Christian icon of
Madonna and Child. What is the basis of this claim and how was it possible for the
iconography of Isis to influence early Christianity? Are their alternate theories to be
considered for the origin of this Christian icon?
MID-TERM TAKE HOME EXAM DUE
Feb. 29
Egyptian Creation Mythology
* “The Israel Stela,” 356-60.
“The Poetical Stela of Thutmose III,” LAE, 351-55
“Hymn and Prayer to Ptah,” in Hollis, Hymns, Prayers, and Songs: An Anthology of
Ancient Egyptian Poetry, 109-111. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
“The Memphite Theology,” on Moodle website.
Internet Resource: http://www.egyptianmyths.net/ennead.htm
Guirand, “The Creation of the World,” Egyptian Mythology, 24-38.
Shafer, “Cosmogonies,” Religion in Ancient Egypt, 90-115.
Discussion topic: One of the great gods of ancient Egypt was Amun. Describe his features and some of the
salient mythology surrounding him.
Mar. 3
Akhenaten and Tutankhamun
*“The Hymn to the Aten,” LAE, 278-283.
“The Hymn to Aten: Akhenaten Worships the Sole God,” CANE 3:1751-1761.
Shafer, “Kingship and Divinity,” Religion in Ancient Egypt, 74-87.
Discussion topic: Was the religion of Akhenaten a true monotheism?
Sin and Suffering in the Ancient World
Mar. 7
Mesopotamian Creation Mythology
*“Epic of Creation ” FDD, 9-42.
Bottéro, “Celebration of the New Year,” Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia, 158-164.
“Michael David Nichols, “ ‘I think you and I are destined to do this forever:’ A reading of the
Batman/Joker comic and film tradition through the combat myth,” Journal of Religion
and Popular Culture 23 (2011): 236-50. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
Discussion topic: Theologian Walter Wink identifies the “Epic of Creation” as an archetypal expression of
what he calls “the myth of redemptive violence.” According to Wink, what are the
characteristics of this myth and how is it expressed in the “Epic of Creation?”
Mar. 10
No Class. Instructor Away.
Mar. 14
War and Suffering in Mesopotamia
*“How Erra Wrecked the World,” FDD, 132-163.
“Lament for a City,” FDD, 324.
“Lament for Urim,” http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.2.2
Angelika Berlejung, “Washing the Mouth: The Consecration of Divine Images in Mesopotamia.”
In Van Der Toorn (ed.), The Image and the Book, 45-72.
Nijay Gupta, “ ‘They Are Not Gods!’ Jewish and Christian Idol Polemic and Greco-Roman Use of
Cult Statues,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 76 (2014): 704-19. Available on-line through
Queen’s library.
Leick, “Religion,” The Babylonians, 100-128.
Discussion topic: How was a statue of a god or goddess made in the ancient world and how was it thought to
function as a conduit to the world of the divine?
Mar. 17
Divination or How to Read a Liver (the short course)
* “Etana, the King without an Heir,” FDD, 102-114.
“Diviner’s Prayers,” FDD, 288-292.
Bottéro, “The Sacramental Cult,” Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia, 170-185.
“Witchcraft, Magic, and Divination in Ancient Mesopotamia,” CANE 3:1904-1909
Discussion topic: One of the most popular forms of divination in the modern world is the horoscope, despite
the fact that there is little objective evidence for the efficacy of astrology. What is the
attraction and how is astrology justified?
Mar. 21
Sin and Suffering in Mesopotamia
* “Poem of the Righteous Sufferer,” FDD, 298-313
“Great Prayer to Ishtar,” 241-45.
“Dialogue of Pessimism,” FDD, 370-372.
“Against Lamashtu,” FDD, 400-405.
Lambert, “The Dialogue of Pessimism,” Babylonian Wisdom Literature, 137-142.
Discussion topic: The ultimate villain in the movie “Ghostbusters” is a depicted as a Babylonian demon.
Compare his characteristics and iconography with what is known about Mesopotamian
demons generally.
Mar. 24
Egyptian Wisdom
* The Satire on the Trades, LAE, 431-37.
“The Instruction of Amenemope,” LAE, 223-43.
“Hymn to Maat,” in Hollis, Hymns, Prayers, and Songs: An Anthology of
Ancient Egyptian Poetry, 122-123. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
Discussion topic: Discuss the ethical content and implicit worldview in a modern wisdom collection such as
“All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” or “The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People.”
Mar. 28
Suffering in Egypt
* “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant,” LAE, 25-44.
“The Man Who Was Weary of Life,” LAE, 178-187.
“The Song of the Harper,” LAE, 332-33.
Nili Shupak, “A New Source for the Study of Judiciary and Law of Ancient Law,” Journal of
Near Eastern Studies 51 (1992): 1-18. Available on-line through Queen’s library.
Goedicke, “Contents and Significance of the Text,” The Report about the Dispute of a Man with
his Ba, 38-59.
Discussion Topic: Despite the official mythology, tomb robbery was common in ancient Egypt. Discuss this
phenomenon, including it’s rationale and attempts to discourage it.
ESSAY PROPOSALS DUE
Mar. 31
Summary & Final Reflections
FINAL TAKE-HOME EXAM ASSIGNED
Apr. 14
FINAL TAKE-HOME DUE
ESSAY DUE